Day’s Worst: Paying McDonald’s workers by debit card

If Natalie Gunshannon’s claims are true, it’s going to make the owners of a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania look pretty bad.

Gunshannon is suing a golden arches franchisee in Pennsylvania,[1] saying she was required to be paid only through a debit card that charged fees rather than direct deposit as she’d wished. She alleges that some hourly employees made less than minimum wage as a result.

Managers and assistant managers at the restaurant were allowed to get paid via direct deposit, the suit alleges.

Gunshannon, a single mom, said she and some co-workers were paid through a JPMorgan Chase Payroll Card, which has a $1.50 fee for ATM withdrawals, a $10 inactivity fee after 90 days, and a 75 cent online payment fee per transaction and other fees. She wants her case to become a class-action suit.

McDonald’s franchisees Albert and Carol Mueller provided told ABC News in a statement[2] that they had not seen the suit yet and could not comment.

“This isn’t something personal. I would just like to be paid for my work,” Gunshannon said.

It’s one thing to eliminate paper checks to save money, but we think employees should have the choice of direct deposit or a debit card, not be forced into a debit card with hefty fees.